Squirrel Attack

allanburden · October 24, 2007, 07:37:00 PM

So my dad and I are doing some squirrel hunting on our lease in my hometown. It's our first small game hunt together since I was little, and was more of a leisurely get together than a serious hunt. Well, we arrive at our lease at about 4 and head for an old swamp that cuts our property and always produces a few squirrels. We sit with our backs opposite each other on opposite sides of a gnarly ol' white oak that is about 5 feet around. I can hear squirrels running the ridge to my right and am just waiting for one to head our way when I hear the crack of my dad's rifle. Let's just say I was not expecting what happened next. I was still looking at the ridge to my right when I hear a branch snap above my head. Just as I lift my eyes skyward a monstrous, snarling, grey mass of fur lands smack on my nose. Of course, it's dead at this time but I don't know this. I grab the squirrel and rip it off my face. Throwing it to the ground I began to step on it's head hoping that the possesed mammal would die. That's when I hear my dad rolling around lauging and notice the red tinge to my vision. It seems that the squirrel he shot was above him in an overhanging limb about 20 feet up. When dad shot he said the squirrel took off around the tree and he did not think he hit it. Well, according to him that's when he heard my scream for help. I don't remember screaming but he says it probably scared the hell out of any critters in the county. Needless to say, we had a great time and I'm gonna really enjoy the brunswick stew that crazy kamikaze squirrel ends up in!

adkmountainken · October 24, 2007, 08:00:00 PM

aww man wish i had a camera when the tree rat hit your mug!!! ya might want to think about a helmet next time ya go tree rat chasing with your dad. i bet he will be busting your chops about this hunt for a loooooong while.

Rufus · October 24, 2007, 08:01:00 PM

My little brother (6'3'- 240#'s) shot a squirrel. When he picked that "dead" bugger up, it bit the fire out of him. After that when a squirrel hit the ground you could feel the vibrations from the stomping he gave it. Some were even too tenderized to cook. He never got bit again though.

Gene Roberts · October 24, 2007, 08:46:00 PM

nice stories,ha ha ha,i wish i had moments like that.they just come w/time though.

owlbait · October 24, 2007, 09:28:00 PM

Squirrels make for some good stew and stories! Had one climb down a limb when I was sitting a treestand and when he got next to my hand I opened my fist as wide as I could. He musta thought he was gettin swallered and just jumped. When he hit the ground he probably didn't even hear the thud cuz I wuz laffin my guts out!

30coupe · October 24, 2007, 09:42:00 PM

My dad said he chased down and caught a squirrel once when he was a kid. After he caught it, he couldn't let it go...bit and scratched the heck out of him!

One of my buddies and I were coon hunting when we were kids. We shot a big old bore coon out of a tree, the dogs kinds wallered it, then my buddy said, "I'll show you how to kill it without having to shoot it again." He stood on the coon's chest for a few minutes until it apparently died. Meanwhile, the dogs had hit another track. He picked the coon up by the hind leg and slung it over his shoulder, and we started walking to catch up with the dogs. All of a sudden, my friend hollered, "Son of a bitch!" and started jumping around. I looked and he had a coon dangling from his back! The "dead" coon had come to life and bit him in the back. Fortunately his heavy canvas coat kept the coon's teeth from penetrating his skin, but he felt it nip him and it wasn't inclined to let go. I grabbed it by the back feet and yanked it loose. I dropped it on the ground and shot it in the head with my .22 rifle. I offered after that, but he didn't want to stand on any more of them.

Kevin L. · October 24, 2007, 09:49:00 PM

I've had a squirrel nightmare or two in my day, so don't feel bad. There's a reason God didn't make them the size of deer, it'd take a .375 or better to put 'em down.

30 coupe, way back when I was in Army basic @ Ft. Dix, NJ, they told us to be sure to look into the concrete foxholes after we pulled the covers off in the mornin'. Well, one feller from NY pulled his cover off and jumped in on Momma 'Coon and the kids one morning. She tore him a new one before she led the litter off to the treeline, and the DI got what was left of it after she was gone. You never seen funny 'til ya seen someone tryin' to buttstroke a coon hangin' off his back. That's funny, I don't care who ya are!

allanburden · October 24, 2007, 11:27:00 PM

Ken, you're exactly right brother, it's going to be interesting on our next deer hunt! 30coupe, i'm dang sure glad that squirrel wasn't a coon, those are some sure 'nuff mean critters. Kevin I went to basic at Ft. Jackson in 2002 and though we we're not warned of coons, we did find a few rattlesnakes and black widows enjoying the shade in the morning when we removed the covers. I also have a funny story 'bout a possum but that will have to wait for another day to give ya'll something to wait for.

Trooper · October 25, 2007, 08:50:00 AM

I had a "pet" squirrel bite me on my finger so hard that his teeth hit the bone! Well, this resulted in my whole hand swelling up a couple of days later, then staff infection set in, which led to 2 weeks of strong antibiotics twice a day and almost surgery. No more "pet" squirrels for me!

Tom Leemans · October 25, 2007, 08:59:00 AM

Them skwerrels will "take as many with them as they can" when they die. Tough, vicious critters!

D. Key · October 25, 2007, 09:27:00 AM

Great story, Allan.

I was hunt'in in a ground blind several years ago when a big fox squirrel came running down the tree I was sitting against and I instinctively shot my longbow just out of reaction. Took him between the shoulder and throat with a 125 grain grizzly head and POC shaft. He died on the spot. I was greatly relieved and proud of my instinctive shooting. Protecting my backside was actually the priority.